Surviving Hostage Takings

In our city there has been a string of robberies over the past several weeks. The bad guys have been holding up pharmacies for drugs (Oxycontin) and money. The employees at these stores are scared; and worried that eventually they will be confronted with violence or taken hostage when a robbery goes bad. I think it’s time to discuss what to do if we ever find ourselves picking up a few things in the pharmacy and this occurs. Let’s examine the dynamics of hostage situations.

During hostage situations, the emotions of both parties (the hostage and hostage taker) will run the gamut between despair and euphoria. Understanding the fragile emotional dynamics that take place in these situations can increase your chances of survival. There are four stages in every hostage taking regardless of length or outcome, alarm, crisis, accommodation and resolution. Each affects the way in which hostage takers and hostages interact. Knowing which stage you are in can make the difference between life and death. 

Alarm

The alarm stage is the most traumatic and potentially dangerous time in any hostage situation. It is generally short lived (about an hour in length) and the potential for violence is high. Everyone’s emotions are running high and the hostages and hostage takers are likely in the grip of the adrenaline response. This point in the crisis is often chaotic. Hostage takers are hyper-vigilant and may react aggressively towards any perceived threat.

This is a critical time for hostages. It is during this stage of the crisis that captors are most likely to harass, abuse or kill hostages in order to consolidate their position and demonstrate their control of the situation. At this stage of the crisis hostages should try to remain calm and not antagonize their captors.

Crisis

This stage in the situation often marks the beginning of the hostage takers attempts to consolidate their positions. It is also generally the starting point for the negotiators that will be brought in to attempt to resolve the situation peacefully. It is a high energy time emotionally and sometimes physically. Hostages may be separated and moved to different locations. Hostage takers may be fearful of assault by police/military tactical teams. 

This is the point in the crisis (often popularized in the media) that hostage takers will often make demands and/or give impassioned speeches. For hostages this is the most critical stage of the event and will set the tone for all future interactions with their captors. Like it or not hostage/captor interactions at this juncture can either enhance or reduce the hostage’s chances for survival. Hostages should take the opportunity to rest and eat if food is offered. They should assume a position of calm compliance and in no way challenge their captor’s authority or control of the situation.

Accommodation

Generally this is the longest stage in a hostage crisis. It can be marked with the sense that time is dragging on, punctuated with moments of sheer terror. It is during the accommodation phase that Stockholm syndrome becomes manifest. Hostages begin to feel forgotten, or that the hostage takers would leave if the police would just pack up and go home.

During this stage, negotiators are hard at work trying to bring the crisis to a peaceful resolution. Meanwhile tactical units plan and deploy in the event they need to assault the building. Emotionally and psychologically this is the most difficult time for hostages. The loss of freedom of movement and communication coupled with the fear and stress of the situation can take a huge emotional toll on hostages. They should try to conserve as much energy as possible and do everything they can to follow their captor’s instructions.

Resolution

In the end both hostages and their captors may be emotionally and physically exhausted as the hours or days/months go by and begin to take their toll. This is the second most dangerous time in any hostage situation. Hostage takers realize that they’ve lost most of their bargaining chips and may become desperate. How things play out from this point on is largely determined by the ability of the negotiator to bring the crisis to a peaceable conclusion.

How to survive if you become a hostage

• Don’t be a hero. Resign yourself to the situation and wait patiently. Under no circumstances should you attempt to physically control an armed hostage taker. Life is not a movie. Underestimating the physical skills of the hostage taker (especially if armed) could be a fatal mistake. You are not always the only person there. Your actions can impact others.

• Follow Instruction. Regardless of who you were before this all began you now have zero authority or control of the situation. Listen to what you are told to do and then comply. Don’t give your captors a reason to need to harm one of their hostages as a means to demonstrate their control of the situation. Remember the hostage takers are under a great deal of stress and may not be thinking rationally.

• Speak when spoken to. This is a case of S2 (sit down, shut up). Any attempt to initiate conversation may be interpreted as testing the hostage takers control of the situation. Unless it is an emergency, it is best to say nothing at all. It will avoid drawing attention to you.

• Don’t offer suggestions. Attempting to be helpful will generally only antagonize your captors and make things worse for everyone. Leave the negotiations to the professionals and let the police do their jobs.

• Stay Calm. I know it would be incredibly difficult to do under the stress of being held hostage but it must be done. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by panic. Hostages should rest and eat if possible. You have no idea how long the situation will take to resolve itself and the emotional ups and downs can be debilitating.

• Evaluate whether you can safely escape. The opportunity for escape must be carefully weighed against the chances of success vs. the chance of being caught or that harm may be done to the remaining hostages in retaliation. As I said earlier, life is not a movie and you’ll only get one chance to do it right.

• Ask for help when you need it. After the crisis stage it may be appropriate to request aid such as medication if you require it. Your life is a bargaining chip to the hostage takers and there is no percentage in them allowing you to become ill or die.

• Never argue hostage takers. Arguing with your captors will only make you stand out in their minds and focus their attention on you. If you are perceived as a threat you could be harmed as a message to the other hostages.

• Avoid drawing attention to yourself. Try to blend in and be as unobtrusive as possible. You absolutely do not want to stand out in your captor’s memory.

• Treat your captors with respect. This along with not challenging their authority or attempting to embarrass them will go a long way towards ensuring that hostages are not mistreated. Don’t downplay the seriousness of the situation.

• Never attempt to trick your captors. Attempting to manipulate the situation for your advantage is a dangerous game. If you are found to be lying, the hostage takers may make an example of one of the hostages to demonstrate their control.

• Be patient. Hostage situations are often long, drawn out events. Police are hard at work trying to bring the situation to a peaceful resolution. The longer the situation goes on, the higher your chances are for survival.

• Be a good witness. Pay attention (Situational Awareness) to the hostage takers. Who is in charge? How many of them are there? What kind of weapons do they have? What is the disposition of the hostages? Have they been harmed? If you are released before the other hostages these and many more questions will be important for the police tactical units and hostage negotiators to know.

Kerry Sauve

http://www.streetsensesafety.ca